Geranium plant named ‘Duebart’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Duebart’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; and dark pink-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Pelargonium peltatum cultivar ‘Duebart’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duebart’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with attractive flowerand foliage colors.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code numberN-12-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code numberF-23-09, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar‘Duebart’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny from this cross in a controlled environment inRheinberg, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingstaken at Rheinberg, Germany has shown that the unique features of thisnew Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duebart’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duebart’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely basal branching habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Dark pink-colored flowers.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection N-12-001, plantsof the new Ivy Geranium are more compact, have smaller leaves and havebrighter pink-colored petals.

Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection F-23-09, plants ofthe new Ivy Geranium are more compact, have smaller leaves and largerflower umbels.

The new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar‘Guimongol’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,352. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new IvyGeranium differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Guimongol’ in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were more compact with shorterinternodes and shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar‘Guimongol’.

2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had longer leaves than plants of thecultivar ‘Guimongol’.

3. Leaves of the new Ivy Geranium did not have a distinct zonationpattern than leaves of plants of the cultivar ‘Guimongol’ did have adistinct zonation pattern.

4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had larger flower umbels than plantsof the cultivar ‘Guimongol’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical floweringplants of ‘Duebart’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Duebart’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the spring undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown with three plants per container. Plants were abouteight weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailedbotanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar ‘Duebart’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identifiedas code number N-12-001, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified ascode number F-23-09, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C. Winter: About 7days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20° C. Winter: About 28days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine; freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Compact, upright and outwardly spreading planthabit, rounded; densely foliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely basal branching,about four lateral branches per plant.

Plant height.—About 16 cm.

Plant width.—About 11 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 13 cm. Internode length: About 2.25 cm.Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About five. Length: About 7 cm. Width: About 7.6 cm.Shape: Reniform. Apex: Acute. Base: Peltate. Margin: Crenate. Venationpattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color:Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; no distinctzonation pattern. Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 144A.Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Petiole: Length: About 7.4 cm.Diameter: About 2 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement.—Dark pink-colored flowers arranged in roundedhemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayedabove the foliage on upright peduncles. Flowers rounded in form. Umbelspersistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower, plants have aboutfour open and developing umbels with about 15 flowers per umbel.

Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring through summer.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 9.5 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.25 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 144A.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width:About 1.6 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When openingand fully opened, upper surface: 68B; towards base, 53A; color fading to66D with subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lowersurface: 68D; towards base, 53A. Venation, upper surface: 68B. Venation,lower surface: 68D.

Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width:About 1.6 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When openingand fully opened, upper surface: 68B; towards base, 53A; color fading to66D with subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lowersurface: 68D; towards base, 53A. Venation, upper surface: 68B. Venation,lower surface: 68D.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length:About 1.5 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex:Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 13 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 cm.Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About1 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent.Color: 178A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: About five.Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 60A.Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantityper flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.3 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,star-shaped. Stigma color: 60A. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color:2D. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy Geraniums.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plantnamed